Tag Archives: winter depression

Last night I was reading this article in the NY Times about record levels of stress and depression being found in College students. For a while, I got depressed myself. Fact is that (especially in the thick of winter), it can get lonely as a college student. You’re having a hard time getting up for your classes, you probably don’t have time to shower or do laundry because you’re late for class, people don’t want to sit next to you because you haven’t showered or done laundry – a seemingly endless downward spiral.

What’s the remedy? For me it was the addition on my cat Karl which helped brighten my outlook. I immediately understood why some people believe that pets help you live longer. (Note: your college may not allow you to have pets – that’s why we included the plants in the blog post. Something for everyone, that’s how we do it here at BookRenter).

Depending on your situation, having a college pet (or plant) around can be a great way to relax, de-stress, and find some easy old-fashioned companionship. Here are a few stories about college pets (and plants):

Story 1, Mike, friend: Mike wasn’t a lonely guy, but he lived in a single by himself. He felt like he needed more companionship, something low maintenance that would keep him company, but not necessarily demand much attention. The solution? FISH. Mike bought a fish tank and populated it with beautiful fish. One turned out to be a tadpole and grew into a frog. Mike, his fish, and his frog lived happily until graduation.

Story 2, Nate, friend: Nate and his roommate were regular wanderers of the night. One night while wandering they found a nice kitten and took it home with them. The kitten was soft and friendly, but also grew into a fierce protector of the dorm, affecting a huge dip in the local rodent population. A win, win for all parties save the rodents.

Story 3, Senior Girls: Some girls I knew senior year attempted to keep a dog in the dorms for a period of time. Although the dog was nice to pet, it chewed textbooks by day and terrorized the dorm inhabitants by night. They ended up trading their dog for a Chia pet that looked like a dog. Don’t get a dog, kids, get a dog-like plant.